Hello Stranger
by nkitty29
Summary: Tonight she wasn't Meyrin Hawke nor was he Athrun Zala. They were just strangers, dancing the night away. Athrun x Meyrin


I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny and never will…

I was and still am having a few doubts with this story. I have written countless of drafts and not one has made me happy. –sigh- Anyways, the one-shot well two-shot is set after the second war…Characters will be OOC (hopefully not that much)…Flames will not be allowed but constructive criticism is welcomed…

Tonight she wasn't Meyrin Hawke nor was he Athrun Zala. They were just strangers, dancing the night away. Athrun x Meyrin

**Hello Stranger**

**Part One**

* * *

"Luna, I'm going back to the hotel." She quickly turned around before even stepping into the Athha Castle.

"Come on, Meyrin!" The older one protested, "It's our first time back to Orb in two years and you're going to spend it in a hotel room!" She grabbed her sister's shoulder.

The eighteen-year-old girl in the green ballroom dress shook her sister off, "I don't want to go. I- I feel silly!" She said walking towards the car that had not been taken away by the valet.

"Silly?" The other one questioned, "Meyrin, this is a Masquerade Party! We're suppose to feel silly! Plus we paid big money for these dresses!" Luna held up her feather mask and twirled around showing off her own dress. The red-violet haired young woman smiled as she looked back at her younger sister.

"First of all, you paid big money for the gowns." Meyrin pointed an accusing finger at the older one. "Second of all, you told me about this party last minute! I don't want to be here."

"You don't want to see our old friends?" Lunamaria asked, "Shinn? Lacus-sama? Cagalli-sama? Yamato-san? Not even Athrun?" She raised an eyebrow as she waited for her sister's reaction.

Meyrin was taken back as she heard the name of her past crush. _'He's probably engaged with Miss Cagalli.'_

"No, I'm sorry." Meyrin finally said, "I'm going back, I can meet them some other time."

"Please Meyrin, just stay for me!" Luna wasn't going to let her go. She looked at Meyrin with the famous puppy eyes. Meyrin rolled her eyes at her sister's childish action. Luna continued, "We'll stay for two hours and then go back!" She still pleaded; her eyes became watery as she looked at Meyrin.

Few moments of silence passed between them. The red-haired girl sighed to herself as she nodded. "Okay…"

"Yes!" Lunamaria's tears instantly disappear as her eyes glinted in happiness.

"Trust me Meyrin, you will have fun!" Luna placed her hand on her sister's shoulder and whispered, "Remember everyone behind a mask is stranger including you, so just have fun and play along."

* * *

'_Yea, I'm having so much fun…'_ Meyrin thought sarcastically as she placed down her fourth drink (no alcohol of course, she's still underage well in Orb) of the night.

"Excuse me, would you like another drink?" The young waiter who had been serving the red haired girl for the pass two hours appeared once again. He took the empty glass and waited the young woman's answer.

"No thank you." She looked at the waiter; he like the rest wore a mask to conceal his identity. "Can you just tell me where the restroom is?" The waiter nodded and gave her the directions. Meyrin thanked him and went on her way.

* * *

"That's it. I'm telling Luna that I'm going home!" Meyrin said as she exited the restroom. In her mind there was only one goal to go home. It wasn't that she didn't like parties but she had gotten jet lag well shuttle lag from spending hours on the shuttle. Meyrin had yet to recover from the drowsiness.

The young woman stopped and looked at herself in one of the many mirrors that hung on the walls of the main hall. Her reflection frowned at her but Meyrin ignored the look and straighten the feathered butterfly mask she wore. She sighed to herself as she walked back towards the Ballroom.

Meyrin was greeted with the music that played louder than it did before. The dance floor was full of dancers who moved to the sound of the music in each other arms. Meyrin looked around for a magenta haired woman wearing a red-feathered eye mask. It was rather hard since there were a few women who resembled her sister. Her gray eyes looked in wonderment as she saw a woman with flowing pink hair dancing with a brunette. There was also a certain blond woman that caught her attention; she smiled as men surrounded her. Meyrin shook off the thought of that being Cagalli and continued to search. When she was about to give up and just leave she spotted her older sister.

"Lunamaria." She called out but her sister's ears were deaf to her voice. Meyrin glared at Luna as she started to walk towards her and her black haired companion. Meyrin was sure that it was Shinn; there was no doubt about that.

However Meyrin quickly stopped in mid step. She stopped herself and thought for a moment about her actions. She was going to interrupt Luna and Shinn; she looked up at the young pair. Her sister was truly laughing and smiling; Luna hadn't done that in a while. Meyrin looked down with guilt. Maybe she can put up with another hour or so.

"Or I can just go home without saying bye." She said to herself, thinking over her options.

"Leaving so soon?" Meyrin jumped at the voice, she didn't dare turn around. "A girl like yourself should be dancing not leaving." Meyrin didn't want to turn; she knew very well who it was. Memories from the last war entered her mind. From the first moment she laid eyes on him in the Minerva to the moment they said farewell after their walk from the memorial.

"So would the green butterfly like to share a dance with the blue stranger?" His words lingered around her. Meyrin smiled falsely as she turned to meet her former commander. He didn't change even after two years, his charm still wrapped around her. She felt as if she was sixteen again and still the CIC girl of the Minerva.

Meyrin disregarded the feeling she felt and spoke, "I'm sorry Athrun but I-"

"Athrun? Sorry but I don't know who that is." He said with a smile on his face.

Meyrin stared dumbfound at the man, even with that a blue eye mask that concealed his green emerald eyes that she remembered all so well. Meyrin knew exactly who it was, Athrun Zala.

"Athrun, I know it's you. What can kind of game are you trying to pull?"

"I'm playing no game." The smile still hung on his lips. "I'm just a mere masked stranger who wishes to dance with you." He held his hand out to the butterfly girl.

Meyrin looked down at the gloved hand held out for her. What was he planning? Shouldn't he be with Cagalli? Meyrin just wanted run away but he blocked her from moving anywhere. She looked up and tried to glare at him but fail to do so. She sighed to herself as she took his waiting hand.

To the dance floor they went, hand in hand. Athrun looked down at the girl who refused to meet his gaze. He placed his right hand on her back and pulled her closer to him. Meyrin jumped at his action she again glared at him as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Their free hands were entwined. Athrun held her hand tight wanting to feel the warmth through her gloved hand. The musicians began to play and they began to dance.

As they waltzed across the dance floor, Meyrin broke the silence.

"So if you aren't Athrun Zala then, who are you?"

He chuckled and repeated his previous words, "I'm just a mere stranger." She didn't say anything, "Remember this is a Masquerade Ball." He whispered.

It was there that Meyrin remember where she was. Tonight was supposed to be a night of fun. Tonight is their _first _encounter. Her sister's last words entered her mind.

"…_so just have fun and play along."_

He wanted to play well he might just have found a new playmate.

"You do have a good point there." She agreed with him. They continued to glide and twirl in each other arms. "So stranger why did you pick me? Shouldn't you be dancing with your date?" She asked looking over his shoulder to again look at the same blond woman who laughed and talked to the guests.

"Date? I came here alone." He simply replied, "At the moment I'm not seeing anyone."

He noticed that she missed a step.

'_They aren't together?' _His words caused her to lose focus on the dance. She quickly composed herself but that thought of hers still lingered. _'He's alone, he's not with Cagalli.'_

"How about you?" He asked, "Would someone be jealous if they saw you dancing with me?"

"If I say yes then what would be your answer?" She questioned him.

"If that will be the case then I would like to know who the lucky man is to have such a beauty." There was a little change in his voice; Meyrin noticed there was some bitterness underneath.

His words quickly caused a blush to spread across her cheeks. He still had the same affect towards her. Nothing changed about him.

"Well I-I-" She cursed at herself as she stumbled with her words. "I'm not with anyone." Meyrin blurted out still with the rosy blush on her face. She sensed a wave of relief wash over the man that held her.

"Such a shame, a girl like you single." He said calmly.

"Now why would you call it a shame?" Meyrin looked up, "I would call it an honor." She smiled at her words.

"I call it a shame because there's a man out there that needs you. There's probably one that has been thinking about you and how his life would be better off by your side." The tempo of the song changed, it was smooth and slow. Meyrin found herself at a stop, "Is there anything wrong?" He asked.

The green butterfly girl shook her head, "No nothing, it was just the change of the music."

'_He's probably pretending, after all he's acting to be someone else.'_

"Why do you consider it an honor?" He continued on with the dance.

She followed his steps, "It's an honor because I'm independent. I'm not relying on someone else to fight for me. I'm not in the shadow nor walking behind another like others do."

"Independent?"

"Yes, you can say that I have seen and known some girls that let others do the work while they hide in the shadows." There was some pressure on his shoulders. "I know this one girl who was always behind her sister. She watched from the sidelines the big kids play and she was helpless. I'm happy that I'm not like that…anymore." She whispered the last word but it didn't go unheard by the man.

"The big kids weren't playing nor in control. They weren't the ones pulling the strings. They were just manipulated, the girl was lucky she wasn't fighting." He answered back, "I don't think the girl was helpless. She-"

Meyrin snorted, "She was! And even if she wasn't fighting in the field, she was fighting her inner problems. She was fighting back the tears after every battle, she was fighting not to break down when her sister and friends got hurt or had to be put through such a game. The girl was a coward."

He was a little taken back however that changed. "She wasn't a coward when she risked her life to help the real coward. She went against her people just to help an idiot who was being used." The song had ended but their dance didn't. "She was brave when she lied to her sister and when she took the hand of the man who endangered her life."

The next song began, "It was only the spur of the moment. She didn't know what to do. Not even now can the girl come up with an answer to her actions. She was just an airhead back then, who thought that a better life waited for her when she took his hand."

"She would have a better life if she stayed."

The girl laughed bitterly, "Stayed? She would just be alone if she did that."

"No, I bet there will be someone by her side." He led to the center of the floor for all to see them. "She wouldn't be alone."

"She had no one here, everyone was moving on. Her sister was happy with another; they were both grieving over the death of a comrade. And where was she? She was alone in the background walking behind another." He spun her and she returned back to his arms. "The girl had no one to turn too." Her tone was icy but in her gray eyes there was sorrow.

His grip on her tightened as they both swayed to the music. "What about the moron she helped? She couldn't turn to him for help?"

Meyrin shook her head, "No, he was dealing with his own problems. Even if she did go to him for help and comfort it wouldn't have worked out. He-"

Athrun interrupted her, "Howcome?" He questioned, "Why would the girl think that when she didn't even try?"

"It wouldn't matter even if she tried, he loved another. He loved the princess who was too busy with her kingdom and he was trying to win her back. If the helpless girl stayed with him it would be a one-sided love." Meyrin answered.

"So that's why you left, Meyrin?" He stopped and so did she. "You thought I wouldn't care for you or love you?"

The dance and the game came to an end. Meyrin just pulled away, she stared up at him. The false smile had returned.

"Thank you for the dance, stranger." She ran.

* * *


End file.
